HABITUAL snorers considering laser surgery may want to think again. A Spanish study has found it makes no difference.
The technique in question, called uvulopalatoplasty, involves making laser incisions to shorten the uvula, the flap at the back of the mouth. In theory, this should make breathing easier and thus reduce snoring. But Eugeni Ballester’s team at the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona found that three months after treatment, the snoring of 13 patients was no lighter than before. Nor was their snoring reduced compared with another 12 patients given injections of salt water instead of the laser treatment (European Respiratory…
